Device for studying interaction between particles and lungs

1. A device for simulating the interaction of particles delivered to an air/blood barrier of the respiratory tract comprising: a perfusion chamber adapted to receive and deliver a flow of perfusion fluid; a semi permeable membrane coated on one side with a barrier layer adapted to interact with the particles; and a first sheet formed organ having a surface distributed with the particles, wherein the membrane is arranged to be a fluid contact with the perfusion fluid, while the first sheet formed organ is arranged to contact the barrier layer of the membrane, in order to simulate the dissolution of the particles in the air/blood barrier when perfusion fluid flows through the perfusion chamber, along the membrane.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the perfusion chamber is provided with means for establishing fluid connection with the perfusion chamber.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises: a second upper sheet formed organ, an upper distance means for attaching the second upper sheet formed organ over the membrane, and a lower distance means for attaching the membrane while admitting the particles to contact the barrier layer and for contacting the first sheet formed organ, wherein said upper distance means is provided with channels for transporting inlet and outlet perfusion fluids, respectively.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the sheet formed organs of the device are essentially parallel.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the channels are arranged to provide a flow essentially parallel to the membrane.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane is made of polycarbonate.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein pores of the membrane have a diameter in the range of about 0.01-1 μm.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sheet formed organ is adapted so the interaction can be studied with an optical detector.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the optical detector records images of the first sheet formed organ for image analysis.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the first sheet formed organ is illuminated and said detector measure how the light is influenced by the particles.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is made from a polycarbohydrate suspension.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer comprises a dispersed surfactant.

13. A device according to claim 12 , wherein the particles are distributed on the first sheet formed organ from a stream of an aerosolized dose form.

14. A device according to claim 13 , wherein the aerosolized dose form comprises particles in the size range of 0.3-10 μm including at least one pharmaceutically active compound.

15. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the particles are distributed on the first sheet formed organ from an exposure of the first sheet formed organ to an environment comprising the particles.

16. An arrangement for studying the dissolution of particles in the air/blood barrier of the respiratory tract comprising: a device according to claim 1 ; an optical detection equipment; means for collecting fractions of perfusion fluid; and means for immobilizing said device to a fixed structure.

17. An arrangement according to claim 16 , wherein said immobilizing means comprise: an upper part with connection tubes for leading perfusion fluids to the chamber and from the chamber; a middle part for immobilizing the membrane against the upper distance means; and a lower part for pressing the first sheet formed organ, having a surface distributed with particles, against said membrane.

18. A method of preparing a device according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of: providing a perfusion chamber adapted to receive and deliver a flow of perfusion fluid, having a wall consisting of a semi permeable membrane; coating said membrane with a barrier layer; and contacting and immobilizing the first sheet formed organ with the barrier layer, the first sheet formed organ having particles distributed on its contacting surface, so the distribution of the particles remains with minimal disturbance of the original distribution pattern.

19. A method of studying the interaction between airborne particles and an air/blood barrier of the respiratory tract comprising the steps of: providing a sample from an air stream of particles; providing an arrangement according to claim 16 ; providing a flow of perfusion fluid to the perfusion chamber; detecting the interaction of an agent from said air stream of particles; and/or collecting and analyzing samples from the perfusion fluid.

20. A method of studying interaction, according to claim 19 , wherein said detection is performed with an optical detector.

21. A method according to claim 20 , wherein said optical detector records images of said organ, for image analysis.

22. A method according to claim 19 comprising a gravimetric determination of the initial deposition of particles on the first sheet formed organ.

23. The device according to claim 7 , wherein said organ is illuminated and said detector measures how the light is influenced by said particles.

24. The device of claim 12 , wherein the dispersed surfactant comprises a phospholipid, a protein surfactant component, or a combination thereof.